Candidates
Candidate Profiles
Jaiza Page
Candidate for:
Franklin County Common Pleas Court, General Division
Undergraduate Education:
I received my Bachelors of Arts in Government from Georgetown University in 2005. I also completed minors in Spanish and African American Studies.
Legal Education:
I received my Juris Doctorate Degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2010. I completed the certificate program for Children's Studies and was also a Moritz Leadership Scholarship recipient and Moritz Admissions Ambassador.
Legal Experience:
Upon graduating from law school in 2010 through January 2015, I worked as an assistant city attorney with the city of Columbus, in the office of Richard C. Pfeiffer, Jr. I was assigned to the Civil Division, Zone Initiative, a specialized unit of attorneys who focus on abating public nuisances throughout the City of Columbus. Working as a zone attorney in the Columbus City Attorney's office, I filed over 800 complaints for injunctive relief against nuisance properties and property owners for abandoned properties, code violations, zoning violations, drug houses, illegal alcohol sales and any other public nuisances.
In January 2015, I was appointed to Columbus City Council, the legislative branch of local government in Columbus and later elected to a four- year term in November of 2015. I chair Economic Development and Small Business, Housing and Judiciary and Court Administration Committees.
I joined the law firm of Eastman & Smith as of counsel in 2016. My primary practice areas include environmental and public law. I have also expanded my practice into estate planning and probate work.
Throughout my legal career, my practice has really been concentrated in public law. Beginning my career as an assistant city attorney helped me learn the nuances of representing and advising governmental entities. A majority of the work that I currently do at Eastman & Smith is on behalf of our municipal clients, based primarily in Central Ohio. Most recently, as of counsel, I have had the opportunity to learn estate planning, probate, construction and business law and practice before Municipal and Common Pleas Courts in Franklin County. While my practice is not concentrated in these areas, I have gained invaluable experience and knowledge.
Candidate Statement:
(In response to the question, "Please explain why you believe you are qualified for the judicial position for which you are seeking election.")
Independent, fair, competent, impartial, compassionate and integrity are words that come to mind when I think about judges. I believe that I am qualified to be a judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas because these words not only come to mind when I think of judges, but also when I think of myself. As a practicing attorney and a legislator, I strive each and every day to make good, fair decisions, to be an independent thinker, to be impartial and to maintain my integrity. My legal experience in public law and my experience as an elected official has helped me gain a deeper understanding of garnering the public's trust not only in myself but in the laws and legal institutions upon which our society is grounded.
Franklin County is growing, and the community is facing challenges we have never seen before. Families are dealing with mental illness, opiate addictions, poverty and other circumstances that increase their chances of encountering the justice system whether as a defendant, victim or witness. More than ever we need judges who are experienced, fair, committed to our community and who will strive to preserve the principles of justice. I am committed to our community, to preserving the principles of justice and to upholding the rule of law.
Having handled hundreds of public nuisance cases throughout the course of my legal career, I have firsthand knowledge of the impact judicial decisions have not only on the individuals before them but on the entire community. I requested that homes where drugs were being sold be boarded up and places that sold alcohol to minors shut down because I saw the effects the criminal activity had on my community. I worked with business owners to give them a second chance if they made immediate efforts to clean up their property and abide by the law understanding that vacant structures can be havens for criminal activity. Having judges on the bench with good judgment, proper temperament and an understanding of the community they serve is imperative and that is why I believe I am qualified to serve on the Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
Columbus Bar Association
2018 Judiciary Committee Finding:
Acceptable
Columbus Bar Association
Judicial Poll Results:
2018 Judicial Preference Poll
Running Against:
William Creedon